F.L.A.G.

So I've done posts on books, movies, and TV shows... but not music. Would like to feature some favorite, underrated artists such as Emilie Autumn.

F.L.A.G. (Fight Like a Girl) is Emilie Autumn's 3rd studio album, released July 24, 2012. Song list:

1. "Fight Like a Girl"  

2. "Time for Tea"  

3. "4 o'Clock (Reprise)"  

4. "What Will I Remember?"  

5. "Take the Pill"  

6. "Girls! Girls! Girls!"  

7. "I Don't Understand"  

8. "We Want Them Young"  

9. "If I Burn"  

10. "Scavenger"  

11. "Gaslight"  

12. "The Key"  

13. "Hell is Empty"  

14. "Gaslight (Reprise)"  

15. "Goodnight, Sweet Ladies"  

16. "Start Another Story"  

17. "One Foot in Front of the Other" 

If you're unfamiliar with EA's music, her style is typically "industrial"--electronic, dark, fast-paced--though she throws in a classical twist, making her style unique. And something that I've always liked is that she does sometimes sing hoarsely and off-tune, but since her songs do get into gritty content, it'd make sense that her voice reflects the ugliness of such things. How many artists intentionally sing ugly? Not many, I'd guess. (Then again, how many artists can actually sing?) But she also has a whimsical, lighter side, which I was glad to hear in songs such as "4 o'Clock (Reprise)" and "Goodnight, Sweet Ladies."

The entire album tells a story of girls being committed to an asylum and the abuse they endured (i.e. drugged, raped, tortured), and generally dehumanizing women. Very, very dark stuff. But as the album progresses, the girls realize their strength in numbers and overcome their captors. Although their future is uncertain, they move forward, one foot in front of the other.

I found it to be a powerful album, and much more cohesive than her previous albums. It is on the feminist side, but it's not the male-bashing variety. Personally, I don't think you have to be a woman to enjoy this, as I'm sure any guy can empathize with what the characters go through.

However, if I compared these songs on an individual level to previous ones, I'd say I enjoyed more of the songs from Enchant and Opheliac ("Swallow" is still one of my favorite songs.) I guess that's the trouble when you write a story: as a whole it stands, but when you take chapters (or in this case, songs) out of context, it doesn't carry the same impact--except for the single "Fight Like a Girl," that can stand on its own.  

If you're into this sort of music, I'd recommend it. You do have to listen to the entire album to appreciate it, 'cause I know half-way through, I was thinking: Didn't she do this already with "Miss Lucy Had Some Leeches"? But then you realize the album expanded on that theme, and then some.